Whatever the Price
Jules Bennett
As Hollywood's hottest director, Anthony Price is used to getting what he wants. But life hands him a brand-new script when he gains custody of his orphaned niece. Now he needs his wife more than ever–only, Charlotte moved out three months ago. To win her back, he just has to prove he's ready to put family before his career.Charlotte doesn't know if sudden fatherhood will change Anthony's priorities, but she can't turn her back on an innocent baby–or the husband she still desires. Is a happy ending too much to hope for?
“What if I’ve become the man you want? The man you deserve?”
Charlotte sat up in the chaise, swung her feet to the warm concrete and looked at her husband, all deliciously spread out on the other chair. “If that happens, I’ll be the first to fight to secure this marriage. But you’re putting a lot on yourself to fix years of problems in a few months. I don’t want you to think I wouldn’t help out with Lily. Is that what you’re afraid of?”
In a flash, he was on his feet, wrapping his strong hands around her arms and pulling her up and against him. “You think I’m worried about making sure I get my weekends and holidays with Lily? I want my wife. My. Wife. I wanted you before Lily came onto the scene. And damn if I’m not taking back what I want.”
Dear Reader,
Is there anything sexier than a big, powerful man cuddling with a baby?
Whatever the Price is about the broken marriage of Anthony Price and the love of his life, Charlotte. As a hotshot director in Hollywood, Anthony is oblivious to the fact that he’s pushed his wife behind his career … that is, until she walks out on him.
And that’s when things get really interesting. I knew it would take a lot to bring a man like Anthony to his knees, so I decided to be kind and give him not one, but two babies. He does like a challenge, after all. :)
You met Anthony in Caught in the Spotlight, and I couldn’t wait to get to his story. I knew this man was going to fight for his marriage and the woman who made his heart whole. I envisioned him showing his wife all the reasons they fell in love to begin with. And with his type A personality, he would give up all his fame and career goals in order to keep her.
So get cozy as you travel down this rocky path with Anthony, because he is out to win over his wife’s heart once again … Whatever the Price.
Happy reading,
Jules
About the Author
National bestselling author JULES BENNETT’s love of storytelling started when she would get in trouble as a child and would tell her parents her imaginary friends were to blame. Since then, her vivid imagination has taken her down a path she’d only dreamed of. And after twelve years of owning and working in salons, she hung up her shears to write full-time.
Jules doesn’t just write Happily Ever After, she lives it. Married to her high school sweetheart, Jules and her hubby have two little girls who keep them smiling. She loves to hear from readers! Contact her at authorjules@gmail.com, visit her website, www.julesbennett.com where you can sign up for her newsletter, or send her a letter at PO Box 396, Minford, OH 45653, USA. You can also follow her on Twitter and join her Facebook Fan Page.
Whatever
the Price
Jules Bennett
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To the people who sacrificed to always make my life better, my mom and dad.
Love you both more than words could ever say.
One
Her eyes darted from her soon-to-be ex-husband down to the sleeping baby in his arms.
“Anthony?”
Charlotte Price stared at her estranged husband—the one man she loved with every fiber of her being, the one man she was now looking to divorce. But what he held in his arms pulled her attention even more.
Not a what … a who.
A hotshot Hollywood director, Anthony Price didn’t look too comfortable with the bundle wrapped in a pink, silky blanket, a swirl of black hair dotting the top of her head.
And speaking of hair, Anthony’s stood on end. The top three buttons of his royal-blue dress shirt were undone, and was that … oh, yeah, that was spit-up. The milky-white substance spread across the top of one broad shoulder, and she’d bet it had traveled down his back, as well. If she weren’t so shocked she’d laugh at the irony of this entire situation.
Her husband holding a child. She’d always wanted to have a child with him … but he’d never been ready.
“Rachel’s daughter,” he said in a gravelly voice.
Rachel. Anthony’s sister who had suddenly died in a car crash less than a week ago, leaving behind an eight-month-old little girl.
An ache spread through her as she eyed the precious child, and Charlotte opened the door to her best friend’s apartment just a bit wider. “Bring her in and lay her down.”
Charlotte showed him through the apartment she’d been staying in while her friend was off traveling, taking her dream vacation. Charlotte had packed only her most favorite clothes and other essentials, unsure of when she’d have a place of her own. She was getting the alone time she needed to think things through. But she kept coming to the same conclusion as far as her marriage was concerned.
Their life together was over. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she wanted Anthony to love her the way she deserved, it just wasn’t meant to be.
And now that he was here, she couldn’t help but wonder why he’d come to her. Did she dare hope he wanted to work things out now? Was he willing to try the therapist she’d suggested?
She’d moved out in June, and now nearly three months of awkward calls, not to mention the one time a month ago he’d come for a visit to talk and they’d foolishly ended up in bed, was about to come to an abrupt halt. Communication had always been a major issue in the nine years of their marriage. The sex, however, had never been a problem because most of the times they were alone, they were naked.
But talking was inevitable—over more than just his surprise bundle. She had an appointment on Friday to file for divorce.
“I’m afraid to lay her down. She cried all the way here,” Anthony told her, panic lacing his voice. “I gave her a bottle and she threw up all over me, then cried some more. A three-hour car ride and she didn’t fall asleep until about ten minutes ago.”
More than comfortable with babies of all ages, Charlotte gently slid her hands between her husband’s hard body and the soft bundle. With care she laid the baby down in an oversized armchair, tucking her back against the cushion so she couldn’t move too much. Then Charlotte grabbed a velvety throw pillow and laid it beside the baby so she wouldn’t roll off.
With questions mounting in her mind, Charlotte motioned for Anthony to step into the kitchen, where she could still keep an eye on the child over the wide granite bar that separated the two rooms.
“What is going on, Anthony?” she demanded in a harsh whisper as soon as he came to stand beside her.
“You have to help with Lily.”
Help with Lily?
“Oh, Anthony. Oh, God.” A sense of what he meant enveloped her and left her just a bit more crushed. He wasn’t here because he loved her and wanted her back—he wasn’t even here for sex. He was here because he couldn’t take care of the baby alone. Ironic that he wanted her to play family now, when for so long he had used his career as a crutch not to have children.
She knew she needed to keep her distance. For so long she’d let him pull her back into a troubled marriage with suave words and material things in hopes that his attention would soon follow—only to be left heartbroken again. Obviously, their ideas of love landed on two opposite ends of the spectrum. The saddest part, though, is that she knew he loved her in his own way. He just loved making the next big blockbuster more.
But Anthony had come to her, seeking her help, and that said a lot. The man had never been vulnerable, never needed anything or anyone, and he’d never opened up or talked with her about his feelings. If he wasn’t in work mode, they were naked. And she didn’t know why it had taken her this long to realize that even though she loved him, she deserved better.
“I’m the next of kin,” he told her, throat thick with emotion. “We’re the only family she has left, Charlie.”
The nickname he’d given her when they were dating in college had lost the charm it once held. She peeked into the living room at the baby just before his words registered. “Wait. What do you mean we are the only family?”
“We were named in the will as the guardians in case of Rachel’s … death. Because she was artificially inseminated, there’s no father to contest this.”
Charlotte leaned against the island in the small kitchen. A baby, a husband, had always been her dream, but that was before she’d decided to end her marriage, before the maleficent tabloids and her husband destroyed her dreams and crushed her spirits. Before she’d become pregnant last year when he was away on location, filming, then miscarried that child and suffered the heartache alone. A child she’d never even told him about.
“We can’t raise that baby, Anthony.” She leveled her gaze at him, praying she could remain strong when all her dreams were finally within her reach. “We’re separated.”
“So you keep reminding me every time I call,” he muttered. “Look, I’m just as scared, but we have no choice. Rachel was the only sister I knew growing up. Surely you understand.”
Oh, no. She would not be swayed by him reminding her of the heartache she’d suffered when she’d lost her twin sister at the tender age of ten.
“It’s not that I don’t understand. You know I do.” She steeled herself. “But some things just aren’t possible, Anthony.”
Questions whirled around in her mind. She didn’t know where to start, what to do next. This couldn’t be happening. Forget that she needed distance if she wanted to make any attempt at a normal life without the hurt of seeing Anthony every day. Forget that she still loved this man but couldn’t live knowing she didn’t rank above the next major motion picture. How could she move on if she was forced into being an instant parent?
The one thing she’d wished for their entire marriage was a baby. Be careful what you wish for.
Charlotte ran a hand through her hair, nerves getting the best of her. “Did you know we were listed as guardians? Didn’t she ask you? You never mentioned anything like this to me.”
Anthony shook his head. “I didn’t know. We discussed years ago if either of us ever had children, we’d put the other down as guardian in the will, but I never heard a word about it since Lily was born. Children’s Services can contest the will, but they don’t really have a leg to stand on, considering I’m family. My background check was clean and they’re overwhelmed with so many other cases. Basically, she’s ours now. Or she will be after the court hearing in ninety days.”
The ache in Charlotte’s heart deepened with the way he mentioned Lily as his own. She would’ve given him that gift at any time, but his dreams and career had always taken precedence.
“What do you want me to do, Anthony?” She tilted her chin, hands on her hips, shoving the hurt and loss aside. “You can’t expect me to take up playing house with you again. It won’t work.”
“We have no choice,” he told her, glancing over to see Lily. He dropped his voice when she stirred. “The will stipulates that we are the guardians and we are listed as a married couple. The court will finalize this guardianship in ninety days. Give me ninety days. That’s all I’m asking. Don’t give them a reason to take her from me. Then we can decide what’s best. Who knows, we may be able to work this out between us.”
Charlotte didn’t like being manipulated, and she certainly didn’t like being forced to stick close to the man who had shattered their marriage yet still turned her on with just a glance from those sultry gray eyes.
How could she live like that? And three months? Might as well be three years. The heartache in the end would be the same.
Actually, what she hated the most was how he so willingly dropped everything for this new family when he’d never done so for her. And it wasn’t just Lily. He’d been spending more and more time lately with his biological mother.
A Hollywood actress, Olivia Dane had given Anthony up nearly forty years ago in a secret adoption. Olivia had gone on to birth two more children, one of them being Anthony’s nemesis, Bronson Dane.
Charlotte had barely caught her breath from being shunted aside for his new family and now he was adding another layer to her hurt. Dangling this promise of a family in front of her as if they would all live happily ever after. Considering her upbringing and the tragic death of her sister, she knew better.
“This won’t work, Anthony,” she repeated, fear gripping her heart. “I can’t live with you again, not for any amount of time. I’m trying to move forward and I can’t do that if I’m getting pulled back into the life that left me shattered.”
She hadn’t meant to voice her thoughts out loud, but now she had, she wasn’t sorry. He needed to know what he’d done to her, how his actions and selfishness had chiseled away their marriage slowly, but most definitely surely. A bit of relief swept over her now at finally telling him how she felt. Not that her declaration would change anything. No matter her physical attraction, she had to guard her heart.
“I know you’re hurt, and I’m not trying to make this harder on you, but Lily needs a woman in her life,” he pleaded. “I need my wife. I’ve called the designer and she turned one of the spare rooms into a nursery when I went up to San Jose to get Lily yesterday. She should be finishing up today. She put three people on the project and since the room only needed furniture changed and some paint, we should be good to go once we get home.”
Charlotte sighed and glanced at the precious bundle who had no idea of the turmoil her life was in. Charlotte’s heart was not ready for another beating, but she knew what she needed to do for the welfare of this innocent child. Security for Lily had to take precedence over anything else. Especially over her jumbled feelings for her husband.
“Fine. You have ninety days.” Charlotte looked her husband dead in the eye—those same eyes that she’d fallen in love with. She’d hold off on speaking with her attorney until the guardianship was legal. “Lily’s needs must come first. But I’m not moving back into our bedroom. I’ll take the spare room on the other side of her.”
Anthony clenched his jaw. “You’re not going to even try with me during this time? Why not share our room? Let me show you I can be the husband you want me to be.”
“You had nine years of marriage, Anthony. You can’t decide to try now just because I’m convenient.” Charlotte lifted her chin and crossed her arms over her chest to prevent hurt from seeping back in. “And you can’t expect me to jump back into your bed. I’m moving back in for Lily and only Lily.”
Anthony studied Charlotte and her defensive, defiant stance. She was going to make this hard, but that’s nothing less than he deserved. After all the years she’d stood by him, even when he’d pushed her needs aside, he deserved all the anger and hatred she threw at him. That didn’t stop him from wanting her, though.
But she was moving back in, so he’d take that small victory and work with it. Soon, he vowed, she’d be back in their master bedroom, where she belonged. No matter the distance or hurt between them, Anthony couldn’t deny the way his wife turned him on with just a glance or a smile.
Too bad sex couldn’t fix all the problems in a marriage. They’d been hot for each other from day one when they’d met at a college party. Even though they hadn’t married until many years later, the passion never fizzled. Obviously, considering he’d come to talk to her a month ago and they never got around to having a conversation.
Anthony swallowed the lump of guilt for being the driving wedge in their separation. There was no denying that, but having his wife walk out was one hell of a wake-up call. He had a feeling she’d contacted her lawyer, but he didn’t know for sure. All he could hope for was to show her he was ready to be the man he needed to be in order to keep her where she belonged. By his side.
“I understand,” he told her. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t stop fighting for you and this family we’ve been given.”
Charlotte’s sad smile made his chest tighten. “This changes nothing, Anthony. And now you’re ready to step up for this child, it breaks my heart even more because I wanted for so long to have a baby with you. So I’m staying for Lily. Not you.”
Anthony knew his wife had a breaking point, and he knew in these upcoming ninety days he’d probably reach it. “We need to at least put up a united front until we can see where to go from here. And I don’t think ninety days is too much to ask. Give me a chance, too, Charlie. I need you, and Lily’s just had her mother taken from her and needs that motherly bond.”
Anthony tamped down the hurt of losing his sister. He couldn’t fall apart. Not now when his life was at stake and Lily needed him to be strong. The stable ground he’d stood on for so long was crumbling beneath him and he’d be damned if he wouldn’t fight with everything he had.
He could mourn for his sister later, in private. Right now he needed to get his family back on track. Lily may be an unexpected issue, but she was also a blessing and a silver lining. He’d almost lost Charlotte to his selfishness and now that he was given another chance, he planned on winning her back.
God help them all. Babies certainly weren’t his strong suit and since he was being honest with himself, babies terrified him.
Charlotte’s eyes misted. “I can’t replace her mother. No one can.”
“I’m not asking you to replace her,” Anthony replied, stepping forward and taking Charlotte’s hands in his. “I’m asking you to love her and care for her. I’m asking you to just keep an open mind as far as we are concerned. I never wanted to lose you, Charlotte. Never.”
Charlotte’s lids fluttered, sending one lone tear sliding down her porcelain skin. She looked back up into his eyes, determination overriding the sadness. “I’m only moving in under certain conditions.”
Conditions he could live with. Conditions he could break through—and get her back where he wanted her. In his bed, their bed, and in his life forever.
“Name them.”
She stepped back, breaking their brief contact. “I won’t sleep in your bed. Ever.”
That one was too easy. He knew just how to manipulate her when it came to seduction. Knew where to touch, what to say. Best not to mention that and just let her think things were in her control—as any good husband would. Too bad he’d learned that lesson so late.
“Okay. What else?”
“This is only temporary until we can work on a custody arrangement. Once the ninety days is up and the court approves the guardianship, our lawyers will draw up a mutually agreeable plan.”
So she had talked to her attorney. No matter. Three months was plenty of time for him to win her back. “Fine.”
“This baby and our living arrangement changes nothing between you and me. Lily has to be top priority now. Are we clear?”
His eyes roamed over her body, a mental image of her curled beside him in their bed making him smile as he leveled her gaze.
“Crystal.”
Two
“Welcome back, Mrs. Price.”
Charlotte cringed, but smiled at Monique, the maid who’d been with them for nearly five years. “I’m not actually back, but thanks.”
Monique nodded with a grin and continued her cleaning regimen in the formal living room. The very room where Charlotte had hosted numerous parties for the hardworking employees of the Children’s Hospital. Those parties always took place when Anthony was out of town. Supporting the hospital filled a huge void in her life, her heart.
At the start of Anthony’s career, she’d been so proud of his work, his talent, and she’d attended every premiere and awards ceremony, no matter how small. But when his dreams became his sole focus and she became nearly invisible in their marriage, Charlotte resigned herself to the fact that her dreams were never going to come true. So she’d started staying behind the scenes and throwing herself into her volunteer work at the Children’s Hospital.
Charlotte pulled a sleeping Lily tighter against her chest, refusing to be drawn back into a world she needed to say goodbye to. Every room held so many memories—both good and bad. The past several years played over in her head like a silent movie.
Hating all the emotions swirling around over being home, Charlotte focused on the sweet-smelling baby in her arms and moved forward into her home.
No, she couldn’t think of this place as home, not if she wanted to hold on to the small hope that she would be fine in her new life without Anthony once all this was over. But how could she move forward if she still considered this her home? She’d never make it through the next few months if she didn’t keep the mind-set that this was temporary, only until the court approved the guardianship and they could work out a custody arrangement. She knew he wanted to try to salvage their relationship, but she highly doubted he’d be able to put forth the effort a strong marriage required. He certainly hadn’t done so before, so why should this be any different?
Charlotte sighed, taking in the beautiful, open foyer with curved staircase and marble pillars separating the living area. Just this morning she’d been house-sitting in her best friend’s condo, evaluating how she could move on fast and far without the pain following. But now she was back and the pain sliced even more deeply.
“I’ll have your stuff put into the room with the balcony overlooking the pool, as you requested,” Anthony told her as he led her upstairs.
Charlotte moved up the grand staircase that she’d loved since they’d moved in. A large, crystal chandelier descended from swirling artwork on the high ceiling, sending a kaleidoscope of colors all over the marble floor in the center of the staircase.
“I’m surprised you agreed so easily to my being in a separate room,” she told him as they reached the landing.
He took her elbow, turning her to face him. Those mesmerizing eyes bore into hers, making her heart skip a beat. “While I respect your wishes, I should warn you. I won’t stop trying to win you back. I’ll never give up.”
Fear washed over her. Not fear of him. Fear of herself and what would come in their time together. How could she resist him on a physical level? She’d never been able to, and it had been a month since she’d touched him—a rare occurrence for them.
But she had to have some willpower, some self-control in order to make Lily’s life strong and stable.
Stable was something she deserved, too. But the welfare of the baby came first. And hopefully, if she could focus solely on the innocent baby, maybe she wouldn’t have to deal with how just one look, one brief touch from Anthony still had her tingling inside.
Charlotte moved down the wide hallway, breaking free of Anthony’s strong grasp. She walked into the room where the designer had quickly transformed a guest room into a nursery. The pale pink walls made the new white furniture and crisp eyelet curtains pop with a fresh, calming ambience. A lump of sorrow consumed her. This was the room she’d always hoped would be a nursery for their child. The size was perfect and the crib by the window would let in the morning sun, welcoming any child to a new day.
It was one year ago she’d miscarried, and holding on to Lily brought all of those painful memories to the surface.
Charlotte stared down at the baby as tears gathered in her eyes. The thought that Rachel would never see Lily take her first steps, never see her off to school or marry one day really hit home. Charlotte had wanted all those things and more with the baby she’d lost. But fate had brought her and Lily together for a reason.
“You okay?”
Anthony moved in behind her, placing a warm hand on the small of her back. It would be so easy to lean on him right now, but where would that get her? For now she was alone with her emotions.
“It’s just a lot to take in,” she whispered. “Being back here, Lily, Rachel’s death.”
“I know.”
His voice, thick with his own emotion, pulled at her. She’d never once, in all their nine years of marriage, seen him show this kind of emotion. Other than expressing his love for her, he’d never opened up, shown her anything deeper that would make him appear vulnerable. Anthony Price was too proud, too strong to let anyone, including his wife, think he was less than perfect at all times.
Like the time his world was flipped upside down nearly a year ago when he’d discovered the truth about his adoption. He’d been thrown into a family just as famous as he, and he hadn’t sought her out for guidance, comfort or even to talk. He’d shut her down once again and slid just one more thing between the two of them, sending her back one more slot on his priority list.
And then his sister had died. Now was not the time to go into all the reasons working on this marriage was a bad idea.
“I’m sorry about Rachel.” She turned, looked at him through teary eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for the funeral, but I just … I couldn’t be.”
Anthony nodded. “I understand. It’s more important that you’re here now. For Lily.”
For Lily? Charlotte doubted that was the main reason he wanted her here, but helping with the baby was all he was getting from her. Her heart couldn’t afford any more emotional beatings.
“She sleeps a lot.” Anthony smiled down at his niece. “Is that normal?”
“For her age it is. They generally nap about twice a day, so she’s fine. Her world has been disrupted and I’m sure she’s noticed that things aren’t the same. We just have to try to keep her life on some type of regular schedule. That’s best for babies.”
“You’re good for her,” Anthony said, looking back up into her eyes. “And me.”
No comment was necessary. What could she say? A baby didn’t change a thing. He’d warned her that he would try to get her back during these next few months, which meant she had to totally steel herself against his charms. And since she’d been married to him for the past nine years, she pretty much knew every angle he would work.
Charlotte took in the room’s soft, delicate toile decor and laid Lily in her sleigh crib. The chandelier mobile overhead would be a beautiful sight for her to wake up to. Charlotte only hoped the child got used to the strange surroundings and adjusted quickly.
She also hadn’t missed the fact that one of her paintings of little girls playing in a field hung just over the rocking chair. She wondered if Anthony had asked the designers to hang the piece that had been in another spare bedroom.
Turning toward Anthony, she put a finger to her lips for him to be quiet and slipped from the room. Once in the hallway, she smiled. “The room is gorgeous. Did you use Hannah again?”
“Who else? I hope you don’t mind I moved the painting. I told her you would want it in there.”
Charlotte couldn’t help the “aww” moment that just moved through her. That warmth of such a simple gesture had her wishing their welcoming a baby into the house was under different circumstances.
Anthony moved down the hall toward the master suite. “Come in here so we can talk.”
Charlotte balked at his commanding tone. For once couldn’t the man ask something? Everything was always on his terms, his way.
Nonetheless, she entered the room they’d shared for years, the room they’d made love in countless times. Her body responded, but she tamped down any desire she had. She could not give in to Anthony, no matter how much she missed his touch.
Her eyes darted to the canopy bed with gold sheers that draped and puddled on the white carpet around the four-poster. He hadn’t changed a thing in the three months since she’d been gone. Even their wedding picture still sat on the bedside table … on his side of the bed. She couldn’t help but wonder what he thought when he looked at it.
Charlotte stared at the young couple—a dashing groom and a glowing bride. Recognition was scarce, though. That couple didn’t exist anymore and Charlotte almost wanted to go back and have a do-over—knowing what she did now. Maybe if she’d been more forthright about her feelings, made Anthony open up about everything he kept bottled inside, they wouldn’t be in the midst of an inevitable divorce.
But only in movies did people have that second scene to get things right.
Everything in her heart, her soul, wished they’d gotten it right the first time around. She couldn’t turn off her love, but maybe in time she could learn to live with that ever-pressing weight on her shattered heart.
“Tell me you don’t feel anything being here with me,” Anthony whispered, moving close to her. “I know you feel the same thing I do when we step into this room. We’ve never been able to keep our hands off each other and now is no exception.”
Charlotte held up a hand, because God help her if he touched her, all her resolve would go out the window and she needed to be strong. For once she was going to put herself first.
“What I feel, or what you feel, for that matter, is irrelevant. The problem is your affair with your career, never opening up to me and always assuming money will buy happiness … mainly mine.”
“You seemed happy for a long time, Charlotte. I honestly don’t know what changed and why you distanced yourself.” His eyes roamed over her face, to her lips then back to her eyes. “Besides, that money is what has helped you with your children’s charity.”
So he had no clue why she’d started distancing herself. That proved all the more how self-absorbed he’d been.
“My charity was built up with donations, fundraisers and a lot of hard work,” she retorted.
“Yes, but it was the Price name that got you where you are.”
Fury bubbled within her. “Are you insinuating that I couldn’t have done this on my own?”
Anthony tucked his hands in his pockets. “Not at all. I’m merely telling you that your name and status in this town drew a different crowd.”
No way was she letting him take credit for the good work she had done over the years. “I don’t care who donated. I’m just thankful to get enough money for the new children’s wing they’re adding to the hospital.”
The thought that another unit was needed to aid sick kids made everything else in her life pale in comparison. There were so many ill children and here she was feeling sorry for herself for moving back into her Hollywood Hills mansion. Something was definitely wrong with this picture.
“You’re going to have to slow down, you know.”
Charlotte focused back on Anthony. She braced her hands on her hips, tilting her head. “Slow down with what?”
“Your volunteer work. With having Lily, your time is going to be limited. I’ll have to cut back, as well.”
Charlotte laughed. “I’m not handicapped, Anthony. Millions of women work and care for their family. I’m certainly not cutting back when I’ve worked so hard to see this wing built. The dedication is in a few months and I plan on seeing this through.”
“And once it’s done, then what?” he asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “I know this is important to you, but—”
“But nothing.” A helpless laugh escaped her. “I will take care of Lily just fine. I want her to grow up learning to help others and that not everything needs to be done in order to get a paycheck.”
“That paycheck has given you a home, a life that you never would’ve had otherwise.”
Charlotte turned her back, unable to look him in the eye. “I never asked for any of this, Anthony. Never. All I wanted was a happy marriage, a family.”
“I’m giving you a family now,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. His familiar crisp scent surrounded her. “I know how much children mean to you. I know I wasn’t putting you first. But I’m ready now.”
How many times had she longed to hear him say that? To know that her needs and wants matched his. If only they’d discussed these big milestones before saying “I do,” but they’d been young and in love and at the time, that’s all that mattered. He was offering security and a home of love … two things she’d never had.
She turned back to face him. Years of heartache and lack of communication settled between them. “I don’t want a family out of guilt or obligation. I wanted a family out of love. I will take care of Lily like she’s my own, but know that we won’t be raising her together.”
“Don’t shut me out,” he whispered. “Don’t. You supported me once, even enjoyed my work. I know we’ve changed over the years, but I never stopped loving you. Surely the lies from the tabloids …”
Charlotte shook her head. “No, I know you’d never cheat on me. You never could find time for me, let alone someone else. That was the problem, Anthony. You’re so self-absorbed, you can’t see I would’ve done anything for you. And for years … I did.”
His eyes bored into her, the muscle in his jaw clenched. “I won’t lose you. I won’t.”
His mouth came down on hers, and the force of his hold trapped her hands between their bodies. Charlotte clutched his shirt, whether to shove him back or hold on for stability she had no clue. No one could make her nerves and hormones spike like Anthony. No one could match his passion and intensity.
And no one else could elicit both love and hate in her at the exact same time.
But she couldn’t afford to let sex cloud her view of reality, and the reality was that Anthony would never put anything or anyone above his star-studded career.
Charlotte pulled back, staring into his mesmerizing eyes, knowing how fast and easy she could lose herself in them. “Don’t. Don’t touch me like you have the right. I’ve said it before, but obviously it bears repeating. Nothing’s changed.”
Anthony’s hand cupped her cheek. “Everything’s changed, Charlie, and the sooner you realize I’m not giving up, the easier this transition will go.”
Anthony sat in his study looking over his sister’s will. What in the hell had she been thinking not telling him about the guardianship in the event of her death?
Probably what most people thought when making a will—they wouldn’t die young so there was no need to worry.
But damn, this was something he needed to know in advance, instead of being dealt another blow so soon after her death.
Rachel’s death.
Those two words had been bouncing around his head and his heart for days. His beautiful, vibrant sister was gone. He’d never see her smile again unless he looked at old pictures. Baby Lily would never see just how much her mother loved her. So much so that she’d been artificially inseminated because she hadn’t been looking for a relationship and had wanted a child.
How could fate be this cruel to have his sister taken away, his wife on the verge of divorcing him and the discovery that he was the biological son of Hollywood’s most recognized star all in the span of a year? His life had taken a dramatic twist, and he honest-to-God didn’t know which way was up anymore.
This time last year his world had upended when he’d discovered he had been given up for adoption at birth by the Hollywood icon Olivia Dane. Not only that, he’d discovered his most hated rival, Bronson Dane, was his half brother. Unfortunately, with Bronson as Hollywood’s top producer and Anthony one of the top directors, their paths crossed.
Since the truth had come out, tabloids had exploited the family’s forty-year-old secret. The four of them—his biological mother and siblings Bronson and Victoria—had all put up a united front and issued a press release, but no public appearances had been made together. Anthony hadn’t had time to take a break between work and fielding media inquiries. His assistant deserved a raise for all the calls and emails she’d had to answer.
Anthony’s eyes drifted back down to the document stating that he and Charlotte were guardians of Lily. A knot formed in his stomach. His knowledge of babies was very limited. All he knew, as of this moment, was that Charlotte had no problem putting Lily to sleep and all his niece did when he held her was scream and cry.
He had no clue how to make a bottle, though he’d winged it the past couple days when no one else had been around. The diaper thing was still very iffy, and he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to use that half container of wipes when her diaper had nearly exploded, but he wanted to be safe. He had a master’s degree, for crying out loud, and had worked on multimillion-dollar movie sets, so why did some powder formula and moist wipes terrify him?
Because this was his sister’s kid. Because he would do everything in his power to honor his sister’s memory and love and care for this child like his own. And because he wanted to prove to Charlotte he could do family and a career.
Family was starting to mean more and more to him. He and his sister had really banded together after their parents had passed away—his father from a heart attack and his mother after a long battle with thyroid cancer.
And when he’d discovered who his birth mother was, Rachel had urged him to contact her, to make a relationship and try to put the differences with Bronson aside. With the unsettled atmosphere surrounding his marriage, he’d found it easier to open up to his sister. Just one more of the communication mistakes he’d made.
And even though Rachel had been his best friend, he never told her about his marital problems. She’d read the tabloids, seen the damning headlines, but he’d always been able to convince her the media was just fishing for a story. No way would he admit defeat to anyone, even to himself. Especially to himself.
The marriage was not over. He’d do everything in his power to show Charlotte he was the husband, the father she wanted him to be.
No, children weren’t something he’d been willing to negotiate before while working, but now everything had changed. Fate had handed him a second chance at a family and he was grabbing hold with both hands, never letting go.
Anthony calculated the time in his head. Ninety days to convince Charlotte they were meant to be, now more than ever. Ninety days to stay by her side and bond with his niece.
Ninety days to have her fall in love with him all over again and win her back, using every means necessary.
And he knew just where to start.
Three
“What are you doing?”
Anthony cringed at the tone in Charlotte’s voice. “Packing.”
Without turning to look at her, he continued gathering his things and folding them into his suitcase. He knew this would get ugly, but there was no way to avoid the confrontation. He hadn’t told her he needed to be away on business. Had he mentioned it before he got her to move back in, she never would’ve come.
All he had to do was get through these next two days and he’d be back home where he could prove to her just how willing he was to win her over. Their time together would be rough, but he was more than ready to face this obstacle. After all, he’d been the root of her problem.
“Typical.” Charlotte moved into the room, stood at the end of the bed they’d once shared and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve been back less than twenty-four hours and you’re already running off. So much for the ninety days you asked for.”
With a sigh, Anthony fisted his boxers and turned to face her. “I’m hosting the Emmy Awards. There was no getting out of this. I’ll fly home straight after, so you’ll only be here with Lily for two days. Tops. I’ve already told the staff to get you anything you need and to make sure you’re doing okay.”
“I don’t need to be watched over. I need my husband to make good on his promise.” She ran a hand down her sleek blond hair and sighed. “Honestly, I expected no less than for you to return to business as usual. But I’d hoped you’d make an exception with Lily here now.”
“Charlie—”
“No.” She held a hand up. “I’m not picking a fight. I’m here for Lily. Do what you have to, but know that if you can’t put her needs first, you will miss something beautiful in your life.”
He didn’t get a chance to add that he’d already lost out on the beauty in his life when she’d moved out three months ago. But just as quickly as she’d come in, she was gone, leaving him feeling just as he should … unworthy. He was nearly forty years old and all he had to show for his life were some Oscars on his bookshelves, numerous blockbuster films and a broken marriage. Had all the recognition and countless awards over the years been worth everything he’d sacrificed?
Dammit. Hindsight was hell on your conscience.
He’d known Charlotte would be hurt by his swift departure right after she’d moved back in, and had expected her to be angry, but he hadn’t anticipated her to give up without an argument. Not that he wanted to argue, but he was ready for it, had even rehearsed his speech. But he had to admit that her thinking so little of him hurt more than he thought it would. Her harsh words and cold stares, though, were nothing less than he deserved.
Her reaction, or lack thereof, slapped a dose of reality in his face. Obviously, he’d been a selfish bastard to her for a while and it took losing his wife and his sister, and gaining guardianship of his niece, for him to really wake up. Shame consumed him at the man he’d become, a man he barely recognized.
And now he was left holding his boxers, staring at the spot Charlotte had just vacated. Was she really just here for Lily? Could she turn off her feelings for him so easily? Did she have no intention at all of fighting for them? After all the time she’d begged him to go to counseling, he gave in and went … once. After all the years she’d told him she needed him to be around more, to be more attentive to her needs. True, he deserved no less. He certainly didn’t deserve her dedication or love, but he still needed her more than he ever could’ve imagined.
Well, she may be done, but he wasn’t. He refused to see that this marriage was coming to a close. This was his first attempt at juggling work and family now that he was making a conscious effort. Once he returned from his trip, he had a little surprise for his girls.
His girls.
Anthony smiled as he tossed in the last of his items and zipped his suitcase. He had two amazing females in his life and there was no way he was going to screw that up. Yes, Charlotte may be angry and hurt with him now, but once he arrived back home, she’d see just how committed he was to their new family.
New family seemed to be the theme for his life lately. Between the Danes and Lily, he’d taken on a whole new set of loved ones. He hoped Charlotte would go with him on this journey that was taking him from the only family he’d known into uncharted territory. Charlotte was his rock, the strongest point in his life. She was familiar and he needed her to hold on to during this life-altering time. She mattered more than anyone and he had to make her see that. He’d failed miserably in the past, but she was worth fighting for, and he wouldn’t stop now, just because things were getting difficult.
He’d turned his back on her during their marriage and just when she’d laid down the ultimatum of her or his career, he’d discovered his biological mother and siblings, ignoring her once again in favor of others.
With Rachel’s death so fresh, he needed Charlotte now more than ever to understand that he wasn’t pushing her aside, he needed her to stand by his.
He’d never, ever meant to hurt her and he knew this was only the beginning of a very long, very emotional process for both of them. And, yes, he was going down this path to fight for the marriage he was so desperately clinging to and he was going to drag her along with him. Because he was not giving up. It may have taken a year of life-altering changes and Charlotte leaving to open his eyes, but now that he saw exactly what he stood to lose, he couldn’t move forward happily in his life without her.
If he didn’t have Charlotte, no amount of family he connected with or films he made could fill that void.
She’d counted on his leaving, counted on his turning back to his old ways. But one thing she may not be counting on, the one thing that would keep this marriage together, was the fact he loved her more than anything. He would fight for her with everything in him. And it was time to stand up and be the man, husband and now father she needed and expected him to be.
With a warm bedtime bottle, Charlotte settled onto the damask sofa in her bedroom, cradling Lily in her arms. All the while keeping her eyes on the television, which just so happened to be tuned to the channel where the Emmy Awards were being telecast. Could she help it if that’s what popped up when she switched on the TV? She’d barely spoken to Anthony since he’d left yesterday morning, but she’d watched him since he’d come onto the screen.
“I’m not watching for me,” she told Lily as she slid the bottle between her puckered lips. “I wanted you to see your uncle Anthony on TV. It’s so rare for him to be in front of the camera.”
When he walked across the lighted stage wearing a black suit with a charcoal-gray shirt and matching silk tie, Charlotte’s heart clenched. The sight of him never failed to take her breath away. His designer suit stretched across his broad shoulders and that hint of a smile he always seemed to possess gave the impression that he was plotting something and only he knew the secret. He had that same smile in bed.
Perhaps that subtle charm was the appeal that first drew her to him. That aura of mystery, those dark gray eyes that penetrated deep into her soul and left her tingling down to her toes.
As he looked into the camera and began to speak from the teleprompter, it seemed as if he was looking right at her.
She wanted something miraculous to come from these ninety days. Wanted the marriage repaired, legal guardianship of Lily and the perfect family life she’d always dreamed about. Even though she told Anthony they weren’t getting back together, she couldn’t lie to herself. She wanted him back, desperately. But not if he couldn’t change. She dreamed of the day he became the husband and father she needed him to be.
Unfortunately, dreams and reality were so far apart, they were in separate hemispheres.
And this reality—the one with the man she loved so close, yet so far—was crushing her soul and shattering her heart. But unless Anthony made a huge turnaround, she would be gone at the end of the three months.
“He really is a good man,” Charlotte told Lily, trying to force back the tears. “His priorities are just in the wrong order for this marriage to work.”
She glanced from the television to Lily, who had one pudgy hand wrapped around the bottle and another clutching her silky pink blanket. Her lids fluttered down as her little lips pulled against the nipple of the bottle.
“Don’t worry, little one,” Charlotte whispered. “He knows how important you are. He won’t let you down.”
Of that Charlotte would see to herself. Neglecting a wife was one thing, but an innocent child … simply intolerable. Though she seriously doubted Anthony would do that to Lily. He had dropped everything when Rachel had passed and gone to retrieve the baby before she could spend another minute in the hands of social workers.
He’d also nearly begged her to give him ninety days so they could make Lily a comfortable, stable home. That said a lot for a man who allowed his work to rule every part of his life. She knew there was good in him. Knew how much family meant to him. So why had he taken her for granted the past few years?
Did he have any idea how that made her feel? That constant brushing aside, as if he just assumed she’d always be around at the end of the day. Obviously, in his mind, she was no better than a faithful golden retriever.
He’d taken her loyalty for granted and she’d allowed it. By not speaking up for herself, she had to take part of the blame for this broken marriage.
Charlotte swore she’d only watch a minute of the awards, but that minute turned into an hour. The bottle had long since been drained and Lily rested peacefully snuggled against Charlotte’s chest.
As the awards drew to a close, Anthony stood in front of the camera once again and began to speak. Charlotte turned the TV up just a notch, so as not to wake Lily.
“Another great year of winners and nominees,” he said with that heart-stopping smile. “With all the thanks going out, I have to take a moment and thank my beautiful wife, Charlotte, for staying home to be with our niece. Love you both.”
He went on to announce the final presenters, but Charlotte didn’t hear the rest. She stared at the screen, mouth open and a bit teary-eyed at how he’d publicly acknowledged her and Lily. He’d obviously been thinking of her, hoping she’d be watching.
This was the way things should have been. A house filled with babies running around—the proof of their love—and him combining his personal and professional lives.
Was fate dangling this second chance in front of her only to mock her dreams? She’d have loved it if he’d come to her door and asked her to give him another chance. A blossom of hope had bloomed when she’d seen him, but he hadn’t been there just for her. She’d have given anything had he dropped everything for their marriage.
Well, he had sent flowers, a rather impressive bouquet of her favorite lilies and roses, but he’d been away on business when they’d arrived. Had he brought them himself, made a little more of an attempt to gain her attention, he might have actually gotten that attention. Throwing money around was too easy … especially because he had so much of it to throw.
But he’d only needed her for the baby. His desperation had been fueled by fear, not love.
She’d been disappointed when he’d been packing yesterday, but at the same time she wasn’t surprised. He was always needed somewhere that wasn’t their home and always willing to jump to meet everyone else’s demands.
Yesterday she’d walked into their master bedroom—his master bedroom—to have a serious talk, but once she’d seen the suitcase, her heart had fallen and the words on her lips had died. Evidently his trip hadn’t warranted a heads-up and he just expected her to go along with his plans, as usual. His work was more important than anything outside the film industry.
But he’d mentioned her on TV as if they were a happily married couple. She knew Anthony well enough to know he would pull out all the stops to fight for what he wanted. But would his actions be sincere or simply because he didn’t like rejection or loss? Perhaps he only mentioned them to throw off all the tabloids discussing their separation.
So much swirled through her mind. With all the problems of their marriage, having a crisis in private was nearly impossible. There was just so much worry and fear filling her.
And just because her period was five days late, didn’t mean she needed to jump to conclusions. She’d been stressed lately and had a lot going on in her life. There was no reason to panic. Didn’t she have enough on her plate without borrowing trouble?
In the morning, if there was still no sign, she’d go get a home test. Then when Anthony returned, she’d know whether or not they’d need to talk about more than Lily and their separation.
Wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake? Another baby.
Make that icing, sprinkles and a cherry on top.
Charlotte jostled a fussy Lily, replaying the life-changing events of her morning.
What a way to start off her day.
She’d woken after a fitful night of sleep and asked Monique to keep an eye on the baby while she ran a quick errand. No way was she going to ask anyone else to get the over-the-counter test. This was Hollywood. The last thing she needed was reporters getting wind of this.
This being the pregnancy test she’d taken in the drugstore restroom, because she couldn’t wait until she was home. It was positive.
Who knew your life could change in the bathroom of a drugstore? It had taken some deep breathing and a shaky hand supporting her against the sink for several minutes before she could pull her gaze away from the two pink lines that had stared back at her.
She knew taking a pregnancy test in a drugstore bathroom was not the classiest of moves, but she hadn’t wanted to risk anyone on her staff seeing it, or worse, the paparazzi. Juicy stories made for big bucks, so Dumpster diving wasn’t above the paparazzi.
There was no privacy when you were married to Hollywood’s hottest director, which was how she’d found herself huddled away in a one-room drugstore bathroom. Bad enough she’d had to wear a hat and oversized sunglasses, and use cash so she didn’t have to flash her name on her credit card, but then she’d looked at the stick.
Once she could speak and not risk hyperventilating, Charlotte called her doctor, who assured her they did walk-in blood tests and to come on in.
Three hours later she was back home, waiting for the doctor’s office to call with those results, but she knew what they would say. The same thing both drugstore pregnancy tests had said—because she’d bought the box of two just to be sure.
And now she swayed back and forth with a fussy Lily, wondering how she would tell Anthony when he returned from his trip. Which should be anytime now if he kept his word and came straight home.
Good Lord. She sounded like his mother, not his wife. Make that soon-to-be ex. What did it matter what he did with his time now? It was all the time before she’d left him that had mattered. All those years before she’d visited her attorney that Anthony couldn’t give back to her.
Tears pricked her eyes and there was nothing she could do to prevent them from falling. Might as well join in with Lily.
“Shh,” she whispered. “It’ll be okay. Everything will work itself out.”
Charlotte didn’t know if she was consoling the baby or herself, but everything would be okay … she hoped.
Now she had a marriage not just on the rocks, but on the verge of falling off the cliff. In addition, she would become Lily’s legal guardian in ninety days, she still had the Children’s Hospital wing dedication and charity dinner to finish planning, and if all of that weren’t enough to make her run straight out of the Hollywood Hills, now she was having a baby of her own with a man she loved but couldn’t stay with.
Would Anthony even want another child? How would he handle two when for years he hadn’t wanted any at all?
“Charlotte?”
Anthony’s questioning tone came from downstairs and pulled her from all the thoughts bouncing around in her head.
“I’ll be down in a minute,” she called back.
Charlotte stared at herself in the mirror. She may be the same woman she had been this morning, but she certainly didn’t feel the same. Her life had just taken another major come-out-of-nowhere blow and now she had to figure out how to deal with not one, but two babies and a possible divorce.
Or an even worse possibility—what if she miscarried again? How could she cope with another stab to the heart and loss like the last time? How much could one person truly handle before breaking?
Could her life be more of a mess?
She couldn’t tell Anthony about the baby yet. Fear of losing the baby and fear of their future held her back.
She’d obviously conceived when Anthony had come to “talk” last month, so that would make her four weeks along. Her miscarriage had occurred at seven weeks.
To keep Lily’s life as stable as possible and to see how seriously Anthony took his paternal responsibilities, she wouldn’t say anything yet. There were so many reasons to keep this baby a secret, but most of all to keep her own sanity. She just couldn’t pile another emotional issue on and give Anthony more leverage to make her stay. She wanted, needed him to stay for the right reasons.
Lily gave up fussing and moved straight into a full-throated cry with actual tears. Charlotte had the overwhelming urge to sit on the bed and join in, but that would solve nothing. And because Charlotte had never been one to sit around and cry when action needed to be taken, she straightened her shoulders and gave Lily an extra hug.
“Let’s go get you a bottle, sweetheart.”
Shifting the baby onto her hip, Charlotte padded out of her room and ran right into Anthony, who was standing outside her door.
“Oh.” She stepped back. “I didn’t know you were out here waiting for us.”
He hadn’t slept, or if he had, it was only for a few hours on his flight from New York to L.A. His eyes were red-rimmed, his hair a bit mussed and he still had on the dress pants and shirt he’d worn for the awards. He’d lost the tie and jacket and unbuttoned the top two buttons, the sleeves folded taut over his muscular forearms. Why he didn’t change on his plane was beyond her.
Charlotte couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the man who was going to try to do it all in an attempt to prove to her that he could do it all.
Lily let out a loud wail.
“I need to feed her,” Charlotte explained, moving past Anthony.
“I’ll do it.” He slid the baby from her grasp and started toward the stairs. “I haven’t been spit up on for a couple days. I almost missed the smell.”
No matter what life threw at him, Anthony always kept his sense of humor. As she followed him down the wide staircase, she recalled that his humor had been one of the traits that had led her to fall in love with him in the first place.
A lump of guilt rose in her throat over keeping news of their baby from him, but the man had never even entertained the idea of kids before. Work had always been his fallback excuse.
So now wasn’t the time to reveal the truth. She needed to come to grips with this and figure out just how she was going to deal with this unexpected development. And he needed to get used to Lily before she hit him with the news of another baby.
Unexpected or not, Charlotte already loved this baby she carried. Children had always been her passion. In her volunteer work at the Children’s Hospital, she fell in love on a daily basis with some remarkable kids.
Walking toward the kitchen, Charlotte trailed behind Anthony as he tried to shift a very red-faced Lily. The jostling really wasn’t working—she was screaming louder—but he’d figure it out. All Charlotte could see was Lily’s little head bobbing up and down to the rhythm of Anthony’s awkward bounce. He needed to do this, to work on being a dad, so he could see exactly what he was getting into.
He filled a bottle with filtered water and went to get the lid off the formula. “It’s okay, Lily. I’m getting it.”
Charlotte resisted the urge to take the baby, mix the bottle and put an end to everyone’s misery. He was going to need all the practice he could get for when their own baby arrived—God willing. Still, her take-charge nature made it hard to do nothing. And since he was so set on proving to her that he could and would indeed be Superdad, she crossed her arms and leaned against the tiled center island.
Just as he balanced Lily in one arm and jerked the lid off the formula, the powder shot across the counter and down onto the gleaming hardwood floor. Unable to handle poor Lily’s hunger cries another minute, Charlotte stepped up. Silence and self-control be damned.
“Let me do it.” She scooped out the remaining formula from the canister and mixed the bottle. “Let me have her.”
“I was getting it,” he told her, relinquishing hold of his niece. “No need to take over.”
Lily’s pudgy hands reached for the bottle and the instant she started sucking, her cries ceased. Silence enveloped them and Charlotte found herself staring back into Anthony’s rich gray eyes.
“There was no need to have her so upset when we both know I can make the bottle faster.”
Charlotte started to move from the kitchen when he grabbed her shoulder to turn her back around.
“Is this how it’s going to be?” he demanded. “For the next few months are you going to undercut every attempt I make at trying to help, to show you that I can do this? Are you so determined to leave me that you won’t even give me the chance to prove myself as a husband or a father?”
Charlotte kept her gaze on the blissfully happy baby. No way could she look into his eyes right now. Not when he sounded so broken, yet so determined. She didn’t want his words to get to her. She couldn’t afford to lay her heart on the line again as far as Anthony was concerned. There were only so many times she could push her hurt aside and forgive him.
“I’m not undercutting anything,” she told him. “I just wanted her fed.”
He stepped closer, so close the arm she’d wrapped around Lily brushed against the hard plains of his abdomen. Beneath that cotton dress shirt lay rippled muscles that she’d explored with both her hands and her mouth. There wasn’t a part of his body she hadn’t seen or touched, but just that slight bit of contact sent a shiver rippling through her. He could always turn her on.
“I want to help. I need to.” He laid a hand over hers on Lily’s little belly. “Let me.”
Charlotte’s chest constricted at the warmth of his touch, his tone. He was holding out the olive branch … all she had to do was take it. All she had to do was look up into those smoky eyes and work with him, meet him in the middle. But pride, stubbornness and all those years of extending her own branch only to have it knocked aside had her shaking her head.
“I’ve got it.”
And with that she walked out.
Some might say she was being difficult, some might accuse her of being hardheaded, and she would absolutely, 100 percent agree. She was all of that and much more. But time after time of being torn down, ignored and neglected would do that to a woman.
Not only could Anthony make her burn hotter than anyone, he also brought out the spiteful, surly side of her. And while she may be physically attracted to him still, she had serious questions about her love. The idea that she fell out of love made her sick to her stomach, but she just couldn’t love a man who didn’t love her enough to make her the top priority in his life.
If Charlotte thought that his sincerity would last for more than a week, a month, she’d jump at the chance to meet him in the middle. But she knew how he was. She knew that nothing and no one would come between him and his precious work schedule—all the parties and awards ceremonies and the next big blockbuster film. And even if he decided he wanted to put her first, agents, managers, A-list actors and countless other people would eat up so much of his time, how would the man have any left for her or these children?
Yes, she’d definitely made the right decision in not telling him about the baby. He needed to seriously reshuffle his priority list before she would smack him with more life-altering news.
Even though this circumstance was different, she still needed to wait to tell him about the baby. The first time she’d gotten pregnant she hadn’t told him because he’d been away filming. She’d planned a surprise for his return with a dinner and a little present. She’d bought a tacky T-shirt that said #1 Dad.
But she’d miscarried before she could make her announcement and before he returned from location. She’d tossed the T-shirt—gift bag and all—into the fire pit on their patio and cried as the ashes blew around and floated away, much like her dreams. Symbolic, really, that her dreams had literally gone up in smoke.
She’d faced that monumental, heartbreaking time alone. But this time he was here and he deserved to know, just not yet. They had a lot on their plate and they needed to deal with all the upcoming decisions together as a family, broken or not. And she would include him in the decision making as soon as she felt comfortable with the man he claimed he could be.
As Charlotte moved back through the marble foyer and up the stairs to lay Lily down for her afternoon nap, she heard Anthony’s footsteps behind her.
“We need to talk,” he told her as they reached the landing.
She couldn’t agree more, so she nodded. “Let me get Lily settled and I’ll come find you.”
His eyes roamed over her face, landing on her lips. “I’ll wait in our room.”
He strode past her before she could correct him. It wasn’t their room anymore. That beautiful master suite with a walkout balcony, shower big enough for ten people and a sunken Jacuzzi would never be hers again. The day she’d walked out, she’d left behind any and all luxuries she’d grown accustomed to.
Of course, she would’ve given all of it up in a heartbeat if she could have had the man she’d married back in her life. To have that attentive, loving, funny guy back, she’d gladly turn her back on this “glamorous” lifestyle.
Not so glamorous once the cameras stopped filming and the doors to the mansion closed. Everyday problems still occurred for the rich and famous. She’d always heard the expression “More money, more problems.” How true. Except their problems were out there for the public to see. Nothing was sacred in Hollywood, which made heartache that much harder to deal with.
Why had she once thought that they’d live happily ever after? Had she been that naive to think love would carry them over any obstacle?
Charlotte sat in the cushioned wooden rocker and eased back and forth while Lily finished her bottle. Sweet little lips pulled at the last drop of formula, then her mouth lost suction as she drifted off to sleep. Charlotte smiled, pulled the empty bottle away and eased the baby up onto her shoulder.
Keeping with the rocking motion, Charlotte closed her eyes and relished the peaceful bliss of holding a sleeping, innocent baby. No matter what happened with the marriage or the baby she carried, Charlotte knew she had a responsibility to Lily. Even though they weren’t blood-related, that didn’t matter. Charlotte would love and care for Lily as if she were her own.
Rachel had been an amazing woman. Charlotte hadn’t been super-close with her sister-in-law because of the miles between them, but they had communicated a great deal over the phone.
Rachel had been so excited when she’d become pregnant. Charlotte had been both thrilled and a little jealous, and once she’d seen how happy the news made Anthony, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d changed his mind about having kids of his own.
But when she’d brought it up, he’d blown her off again, claiming it wasn’t good timing. Good timing or not, he soon would have to get used to the idea of baby number two.
Giving in to the inevitable and relinquishing the peacefulness of rocking Lily, Charlotte came to her feet, laid Lily in her sleigh crib and went down the hall to her old master bedroom.
She prayed for the strength and courage to have a calm, adult conversation with Anthony. Prayed they wouldn’t start yelling and hurling accusations.
She was getting stronger in standing up for herself and he needed to understand that unless and until he made a drastic change in his work ethic, she couldn’t consider them a family.
Four
Charlotte entered her room—no, Anthony’s room—but didn’t see him. She moved farther in, beyond the sitting area and out on the balcony, where he’d left the French doors open. Everything about this room screamed sexy—from the delicate white sheers flowing from the patio doors and windows to the draped fabric encasing the canopy bed, the soft hues covering the wall, and the sunsets that would cast a romantic glow every evening.
Reality check. She wasn’t here for romance. There was nothing romantic about being in a predicament where you were forced to work with someone you needed distance from, or loving someone with your whole heart only to have that love taken for granted and ignored.
Anthony stood against the short, fat pillars and marble rail, his back to her, his eyes on the lush grounds below that were manicured to perfection. There wasn’t one aspect of this home that she hadn’t had a hand in deciding when they’d built. She wondered if he even noticed that, before she left, she’d had a whole new flower garden and waterfall put in. If he had, he never mentioned it. Neglect had come on so many levels.
“I won’t live these next three months like this,” he said without turning. “I won’t worry about making you angry or doing something wrong with Lily.”
Charlotte wanted to go to the rail, but she remained in the doorway. If he was ready to open up and discuss his feelings without her begging him, she certainly wasn’t going to interrupt.
“I love Lily,” he went on, turning to face her. “I’m going to screw things up—I’m only human. But I’m trying my hardest here, so let me.”
Unable to remain at a distance, Charlotte stepped forward and rested her hands next to his on the rail. “I know you love her—it would be impossible not to. But you can’t just expect me to believe that this baby has turned your entire mind-set around. Our problems can’t be fixed overnight because we instantly have a family. If anything, we have more than we expected.”
She resisted the urge to run a hand over her flat stomach.
“I didn’t say anything was fixed overnight.” He pushed off the rail, his face mere inches from hers. “But you’re here. I’m here. And I want to work through this, Charlie. Tell me you’ll work with me and not against me.”
Tears pricked her eyes, burned her throat. “I have no choice but to work with you now. But I can’t promise that after this ninety-day period I’ll still be living here.”
He prayed for a miracle to take place in these next few months. “Let’s take this one day at a time, okay? That’s all I’m asking.” All he was begging. “I just want us to be happy.”
“It’s hard to be happy right now, Anthony. We were separated, heading for divorce, then thrown into parenthood with Lily, and are reluctantly living together again. Kind of hard to celebrate anything.”
Which reminded him of the surprise he had for her. He needed to make her see that she and Lily did come first. Why couldn’t he have both career and family? He’d damn well make this work. This was the only chance in life he had to get this right. He’d prove to himself—and Charlotte—that he could, in fact, have it all and excel at being a parent and a husband. Maybe he hadn’t wanted children before, but fate had handed him a gift. Yes, he was worried, but he also knew he could do this … with Charlotte by his side.
“We’re getting away,” he blurted out. “Before I left for the awards, I had my assistant clear my schedule for the next two weeks. We’re going to our house in Tahoe.”
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